In Internet Protocol (IP) networks, data packets are addressed to an IP address of a destination endpoint. The IP address not only identifies the destination endpoint but is a locator used for routing the data packets to the destination endpoint. As a result, if the destination endpoint changes IP addresses (e.g., due to disconnecting from the network and reconnecting via a different access point (AP)), packets addressed to the original IP address will not reach the destination.
In IONs, data packets are addressed to an identifier of a destination endpoint. Identifiers are long-lived and tied to the endpoint identity rather than the location of the endpoint. Generic Resilient Identity Services (GRIDS) may be used to enable mapping of locators to identifiers (e.g., by a mapping server or GRIDS-MS). When an endpoint changes locations, it informs the GRIDS-MS. Thus, the GRIDS-MS may send the updated location to any other endpoints that wish to continue communicating with the endpoint that moved.
IP traffic may be protected using IPSec, a security protocol for IP defined by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Requests for Comments (RFCs) 4301, 4302, and 4303. IPSec supports authentication headers (AH) that authenticate the origin of data packets and encapsulating security payloads (ESP) that provide confidentiality (e.g., encryption) and authentication.